Matthew 5:13-16
I.
GOD’S PEOPLE ARE MEANT TO IMPACT
THE SOCIETY IN WHICH THEY LIVE.
You are the salt of the earth... (Matthew
5:13a NKJV)
We “are salt” not by what we do, but through our
continued relationship with Jesus Christ.
The Kingdom person represents the King in
their action, but their action does not make them part of the Kingdom.
Christ came to take the focus off of the action
of man and put it on the heart of man.
A. Salt Prevents Decay
It is the influence of the Christian people in the
society of which they live that will determine the speed of decay in the
culture around them.
B. Salt Creates Thirst
As believers, we are to be so salty in our schools,
our jobs, and our social events that we create a thirst in the society
and culture of which we live.
C. Salt Produces Flavor
D. Salt Can Lose Its Saltiness
...but if the salt loses its
flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown
out and trampled underfoot by men (Matthew 5:13b NKJV).
When believers lose the influence of Christ they will
be walked over by the culture of an unbelieving society.
When salt loses its savor it is called religion.
II.
GOD’S PEOPLE ARE TO SHINE
THE LIGHT OF JESUS IN THE MIDST OF THEIR SOCIETY.
You are the
light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor
do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it
gives light to all who are in the house (Matthew 5:14-15 NKJV).
The culture and
the society in which we live is growing dim, and we are to be the light
in that darkness.
There is a
way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death (Proverbs 14:12
NKJV).
It
was assumed that between man’s intellectual capacity and the scientific method,
truth could be determined apart from God.
When
everybody is doing what they think is right, then nothing becomes wrong,
and truth gets to be redefined by the group who wants to redefine it.
III.
GOD’S PEOPLE ARE TO ILLUSTRATE
THE SOCIETY THEY WANT TO SEE BY THE WORKS THEY DO.
Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your
Father in heaven (Matthew
5:16 NKJV).
It’s
not about the product of salt and light as much as it is about what is
in the products to accomplish the desired results.
All
that is required of salt and light is that they do what they are supposed to do
– that is what glorifies the creator.
